Feeder for furnaces.



L. P. BOLANDER. FEEDER FOR FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED MA! 13, .1909.

95?,184, Patented May 10, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

LOUIS 1?. BOLANDER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FEEDER FOR FURNACES.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS P. BOLANDER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feedersfor Furnaces, of which the following is a specifica tion.

This invention relates to an improved feeder for automaticallydelivering shavings to furnaces generally, but more particularly to thatclass of furnaces known as Dutch ovens; the object of the inventionbeing to reduce the expense incident to the firing of the furnace, toprovide a safe, eflicient, and simple feeder for the delivery of theshavings from a distant point to the combustion chamber of the furnace,and to provide against arching of the shavings to be delivered to thefurnace, the arrangement being of such a character as to reduce firerisk to a minimum.

To comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanyingsheet of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the feedermechanism applied to a furnace, the front side wall of the shaving binand the furnace room being removed, portions of the housings in whichthe worm conveyers for delivering the shavings from the bin to the downstack communicating with the furnace being broken away, likewise thedown stack. Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken sectional detail view of one ofthe chutes with cut-off slide applied thereto.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 is used to indicate the furnace room, and2 the bin for the shavings, which bin is located a distance from thefurnace room and at a higher elevation. The shavings are delivered intothe bin 2 by the separator 3, which is located outside of the same andthe spout thereof eX- tended through the roof of the said bin.

A slight distance below the spout 3 of the separator 3, and within thebin 2, the troughs 44 are located, in which troughs work respectivelythe feed worms 5-5. The feed worm 5 forces the shavings falling into thetrough 4 toward the discharge outlet 6, through which they are deliveredto the downwardly inclined chute 7 while the feed worm 5 forces theshavings falling into the trough 1 toward the discharge outlet 6,through which they are delivered to the downwardly inclined chute 7. Thechutes Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 13, 1909.

Patented May 10, 191%. Serial No. 495,635.

7-7 receive the shavings from opposite ends of the troughs H, and theshavings thus delivered into the said troughs from the separator 3 aredistributed between the inclined chutes 7-7.

The lower end of the chutes 77 are closed, and into such portion of thechutes extend respectively the longitudinally disposed parallel wormconveyers 8-8, the outer end of each worm conveyer terminatingimmediately above the troughs or hous ings 99, which extend outside ofthe bin 2 and into the furnace room 1, the outer end of each projectingwithin the inclosed downwardly extended delivery stacks 10, the lowerend of which stacks rest within the feed opening 10 of the furnace 11.

The worm conveyers 8S are unhoused, excepting as to the cover plates 12,which inclose that portion of the said conveyers resting immediatelyabove the inner end of the troughs or housings 99. Such housing as maybe required for the worm conveyers 8-8, is formed by the body ofshavings 13 resting within the bin 2.

To provide against back firing of the flame from the combustion chamberof the furnace 11 into the shaving bin 2, each of the inclined stacks 10is provided with the hinged plates or gates 14, which gates or platesare hinged to the inner face of the outer wall of said stack and swinginwardly and normally rest adjacent the opposite wall of the stacks topartially close the passage way thereof. These gates form a contractedpassage-way for the downflow of the shavings into the furnace, and theyswing in wardly to close the passage-way of the stack on a back pressureexerted thereon by the back firing from the furnace, thereby preventingthe flame running to the moving body of shavings. Such of the shavingsas overflow from the troughs 44c, fall into the bin 2 and graduallyaccumulate therein.

The delivery of shavings into the down spouts or chutes 77 may be cutout at any time by means of the slides or cut-off plates 14:14/, whichare slidable through openings 15 in the upper end portion of the saidspouts or chutes 77. These cut-off plates work in guides 16, and aremoved inwardly and outwardly by the cords 17-17 extended within thefurnace room 1, to be within convenient reach of the operator. The cords17 are connected to an eye 18 and run over pulleys 18', so as to permitof the out-off plates being drawn outwardly; while the cords 1'?connected to said eye, are thence run inwardly and under pulleys 19secured below the guides 16 near the inner end thereof, and thence runoutwardly over the pulleys if), so that pulling strain exerted thereonserves to force inwardly the cutoff plates to close the spouts or chutes'1" -7 and stop the feed of shavings therethrough onto the wormconveyors 8*-. The shavings will then be conveyed by the respectiveworn; past the outlets (P-ti to the open enns 20-420 of the chutes anddelivered into the bin 2. As the overflow shavings accumulate within thebin 2, the same are withdrawn therefrom by opening the slide door 21 inthe bottom thereof and permitting the same to fall into wagons passingthrough the passage-way 22, constructed heneath the bin for the removalthereof. Inas much as the shavings are derived from mills for theworking of wood, there are at all times, as a rule, more shavings thanrequired to serve as a fuel for the furnace operating the plant, and, asthe surplus shavings are sold for other purposes, the bin 2 is neverfilled to its full capacity by the overflow accumulation.

The reason for diverting a portion of the shavings into the feed worms,for the delivery thereof to the conveyer worms 8-8 through the chutes7-7 rather than permitting the said conveyer worms 88 to take theshavings from the mass within the bin 2, is due to the fact that theweight of shavings become so great that they pack firmly and arch overthe said conveyer worms to such an extent that the shavings fail to feedinto the rotating worm conveyers, and it is this difliculty which theinvention I, is mainly designed to obviate and which is successfullyovercome by supplying the shavings to said worm conveyors in smallquantities directed thereon in an agitated condition. Arching of theshavings is thus prevented, and a continuous regulated flow thereofdelivered to the said conve-yers. Inasmuch as the arched shavings withinthe bin form a housing for the worm conveyors, a complete passage-wayfor the shavings being conveyed from the chutes 77 is provided. Eachhousing 9-9 is provided with a gate section 23, which is used at theclose of the day, when the feed mechanism is closed down, for freeingthe said housings of its contents.

Inasmuch as any well known form of drive means may be employed forimparting motion to the various worms to cause travel of the shavings,illustration thereof in connection with the present drawings is deemedunnecessary for an. understanding as to the vorkings' of the parts.

By the use of the described invention the shavings are received by therotary feed means in small quantities and while in an agitatedcondition, and gradually delivered to the means for discharging into thefurnace in a continuous flowing stream. The shavings are thus preventedfrom accumulating and arching, and the feed thereof is maintained inproportion to the requirements of the furnace. hen the feed mechanism isnot taking a portion of the shavings falling from the separator 3, asfor instance, where delivery therefrom has ceased for any reason, thenthe supply may be drawn from the accumulated mass of shavings within thebin 2, but in such case the arch formed must be broken down in orderthat the shavings may be released so as to be taken up by the propellingmeans.

It is obvious that the construction of the working parts is not confinedto the arrangement shown, inasmuch as the invention resides in divertinga portion of the mass of flowing shavings and delivering the same in acontinuous stream to the means for discharging the same into thefurnace.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be protected by Letters Patent is- 1. In a feeder for the describedpurpose, the combination with a'bin for the reception of shavings, meansfor delivering shavings thereto, a trough within the bin for receiving aportion of the said shavings delivered into the bin, a feed worm withinsaid trough, a downwardly extended chute connected with said trough forreceiving shavings from the feed worm, a conveyer worm located withinthe bin to receive the shavings discharged from the said chute, thehousing for said conveyer worm being formed by the shavings overflowinginto the bin, a chute or housing extended beyond the bin and into whichthe conveyer worm discharges, a worm within the housing for receivingsuch discharged shavings, and a downward extended stack with which saidhousing connects for receiving and conveying the discharged shavings tothe furnace.

2. A feeder for delivering shavings to a furnace without permitting thearching thereof, the same comprising a bin for the shavings, rotatingmeans arranged in the upper portion thereof for receiving a portion ofthe shavings delivered into the bin, a downwardly extended chute intowhich such shavings are discharged by the rotating means, a conveyerwithin the bin and below said rotating means at a point adjacent thedischarge end of the chute for receiving the shavings from said chuteand forcing the same through the bin, and means for receiving theshavings from the said conveyer and delivering the same to the furnaceto be fired.

3. A feeder for delivering shavings to a furnace without permitting thearching I thereof, the same comprising a bin for the i shavings, aplurality of rotating devices arranged in the upper portion of the binfor receiving a portion of the shavings delivered 1 therein, a pluralityof downwardly extend- J ed chutes into which the shavings are dislcharged by the rotating devices, a plurality of conveyers within the binand below the rotating devices therein for receiving the shavings fromthe chutes and forcing the same through the arch formed by the shavingsoverflowing into the bin from the rotating devices, and means associatedwith said conveyers to receive the shavings therefrom and delivering thesame to the furnace to be fired.

4. A feeder for delivering shavings to a furnace in proportion to therequirements thereof, the same comprising a receptacle for the shavings,means for delivering shavings thereto, rotating mechanism for receivingand diverting a portion of the falling shavings, a downwardly extendedchute into which the diverted shavings are discharged, and means fortaking the shavings from the said chute and delivering the same to thefurnace, the said means being located in said bin below the rotatingmechanism and connecting with the discharge end of the chute, wherebythe material may be constantly delivered through the arch formed by theoverflowing shavings in the bin.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS P. BOLANDER. l/Vitnesses:

N. A. AoKER, A. K. DAGGETT.

